Travelling in the Time of Coronavirus – Part 5

Given that I landed in Minsk on the day of the biggest demonstrations, every seed of good will was therefore more than welcome. Having wanted to try and present the trip in a way that would suit every pocket, I went to Vienna by car, from there on to Warsaw by bus, and then onwards by plane. As it stands, Belarus allows EU citizens who arrive at the international airport in Minsk to enter the country without a visa, which is otherwise required for entering by car or train. In the few days I spent there, of course, there was no time to wander outside the capital, as the city already stretches over 350km2 and has a population of two million.

The first and each subsequent impression were very positive. Minsk is one of the cleanest, if not the cleanest capital in the world. Although I visited Minsk many years ago, the cleanliness surprised me again, despite the fact that I come from Slovenia, one of the cleanest countries in the world. I was additionally surprised that I got to know Minsk the morning after the biggest opposition rally, but there wasn’t even a single cigarette butt to be seen on the streets, let alone any cans or plastic packaging. What surprised me the most, however, was the answer of an old friend, who lives and works in Minsk, to the question of whether they clean so carefully; he replied that they simply don’t pollute. This cleanliness accompanies you on all forms of public transport, among which is the most important, the fastest and most environmentally friendly form of public transport – the subway, although the city also has an electric tram as well as electric buses and trolleybuses.

Now that we’ve said a few words about how clean Minsk is and how public transport works, let’s focus on what’s there to see in Minsk, in other words, what to experience and what to see.

All of you who are fans of medieval city centres will be a little disappointed with Minsk because the city was almost completely destroyed during World War II, and, despite its almost 1,000 years of history, its population only began to grow for the first time at the end of the 19th century and then again after 1945. The devastation that World War II brought can be evidenced by the fact that in 1941 there the city had a population of 300,000, and after the end of the war in 1945, the number plummeted to only 50,000. Due to the fact that Minsk was a relatively small city up until the first half of the 19th century, its old town is relatively small, but in no way less interesting. What’s is left of the old town is beautifully restored and undoubtedly worth a visit. In the centre is the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and next to it the old town hall, which is exemplary and is intended primarily for protocol events. The old town actually encompasses streets on both sides of the river, with various museums, galleries as well as restaurants and bars, so I believe you will spend quite some time in this part of the city.

When visiting Minsk, it makes sense to visit the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, a modern museum that offers a very good insight into the events that plagued Belarus during World War II. The entrance fee isn’t that high, as it amounts to 9 rubles (around 3 euros), and every third Tuesday of the month to only 4 rubles. The museum is not only interesting as a collection of items, but also as a building along with its surroundings and the park that stretches all the way to the river Svislach (Berezina).

But this isn’t the city’s only park, as Minsk boasts many green areas, the most famous of which is Gorki Park. It has a small amusement park, but again, it’s not the only park with this addition. Another very special green area is the Drazdy Forest Park, which is actually a forest in the middle of the capital, with only certain facilities and paths being used for visitors, while everything else is untouched nature and undergrowth, all belonging to the forest. The Chelyuskinetes Park is quite similar in that respect, as it’s also a park created in the forest, on the outskirts of which there’s our next attraction, the Children's Railway. It’s a 3.79-kilometre narrow-gauge railway, which is entirely managed by children, from ticket sales to the management of the train composition. There were as many as 52 such children's railways in the Soviet Union, including the one in Gorky Park in Moscow, which was built in 1932 and was the first of its kind in the world.

Going back to the center, you can't miss the most unusual museum in Minsk. It’s not really a museum in the true sense of the word and even the director is quite an interesting creature. The museum we’re talking about is the Minsk Museum of Cats, which is located in an attic apartment of a business-residential building at the very heart of the city. Although museum isn’t the right word to describe the business, it’s very hard to find the right term. A group of cat lovers decided to rescue street and yard cats, which are sterilized or neutered, and after that they become exhibits of the museum, where they can roam freely. Although people can also adopt these “museum exhibits”, many don’t meet the conditions for adoption. That’s why, with an entrance fee of 10 rubles (3.3 euros), cat lovers can spend several hours in the museum and pamper the “exhibits” to the point of exhaustion. Cats living there are very well aware of their importance, which they demonstrate at every turn. The director, who is the only one of his kind in the world, vigilantly watches over everything that happens in the museum. He’s none other than the cat Pončik or Doughnut in translation. Like any caring director, he spends most of his time at the box office, but of course he accompanies each guest around the museum and also clearly shows them who’s in charge. There’s also a cat café in the museum, and hot drinks and biscuits are included in the entrance fee.

Of course, there are still many other museums and galleries in Minsk, as well as theatres and exhibitions. You can also enjoy opera and ballet, plus there’s a permanent circus, which is located in the city center.

The very fact that Minsk was almost completely destroyed during World War II, and that its population is now forty times greater than it was at the end of the war and almost seven times as big as it was at the beginning, all this contributes to today's image of the city. Minsk was also the capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in the Soviet Union and thus received special attention. The city is therefore also a mirror of the Soviet architecture. The building of the Belarusian Parliament, built in the early 1930s, is the most beautiful example of constructivist architecture. Next to it is a Catholic church named after the Saints Simon and Helena, and under the park there’s a megalomaniac underground shopping center. In the city’s very centre, we can find some indicative examples of modernist architecture, but Minsk was most marked by “Stalinist architecture”, as most monumental buildings are built in this style, from the Palace of Trade Unions to the Minsk Gate, as well as some theatres, exhibitions and the KGB building, which is still called that today. The newer parts of Minsk were also marked by Soviet architecture which, after Stalin's death, became somewhat less monumental, but still sufficiently recognizable.

Of course, the list of things to visit in Minsk goes on, and the city has one of the largest cable tow installations for water skiing in Europe and in 2019 also hosted the World Championships in Cable skiing. The latter is water skiing where skiers are towed by electric motor and not by boat.

Apart from that, Minsk is a city where people live in two parallel worlds. On the subway, for example, you can pay with a contactless card, or you can use an old Soviet token. A building with a huge Soviet sculpture, for example, is home to one of the fast-food restaurants. There are many more such examples.

To conclude both the description of Minsk, as well as this five-part and somewhat unusual travel story, here are some practical tips. Belarus is one of the few countries where the coronavirus isn’t a political but a health issue. Belarus is one of the few countries that hasn’t stopped public life, but instead primarily insured those the virus endangered the most. But that doesn’t mean life hasn’t changed. There are many recommendations in place that people follow, especially where vulnerable people are located. For example, in a half-empty subway passenger car, you won’t see anyone with a mask, but as soon as elderly people with masks enter, everyone else, without warning, puts on their masks as well. Disinfectants are also available at every step, but due to reasonable government recommendations, instead of decrees, there’s no feeling of a coronapsychosis. Finally, a few general tips. Minsk is a city with relatively little street crime, but caution should still be taken, just like anywhere else. Prices in restaurants are generally lower than in other capitals, although there are elite bars, where they can also be several times higher. Unfortunately, there is no youth hostel network in Belarus yet, so I find it difficult to give advice on specific accommodation, but the selection is large enough, so you’ll definitely find something that’ll suit you.

Now, how to get to Minsk and Belarus? Given that visa-free entry is only possible at the Minsk International Airport, the mode of transport probably isn’t in question. Minsk is directly connected to several European cities by various airlines and the list includes capitals, such as Vienna, Rome, Warsaw, Helsinki, Prague and some others. Of course, it’s also possible to enter by car or train, but in this case a visa is required and can be obtained at the Belarusian consulate.

In the end, I hope that the desire to travel in this coronacrisis hasn’t diminished or even died out, and that we’ll soon sow goodwill among people on all continents. After all, the world keeps spinning. I’m going to conclude this five-part travelogue with Galileo's words: “Eppur si muove.”